


Presidents Don't Cry

by zarrati



Series: Crossing Borders Universe [5]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Angst, Crossing Borders, F/M, PTSD mentions, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-14 02:15:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7148258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarrati/pseuds/zarrati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She had always wanted children, but that was before. Before she realized how fragile her life was, how quickly it could be over. Before she looked in a mirror and sometimes couldn’t recognize the person staring back at her.</p><p>A birthday fic for Jules who wanted something from the CB universe. Idea came from an anon prompt that wanted a pregnancy fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Merger_She_Wrote](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merger_She_Wrote/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULES!!! I hope that you enjoy this little thing that I did. It doesn't even come close to what you deserve for being one of the most awesome human beings ever.
> 
> This is just part one (beware the angst) but I already have thoughts for the next chapter so you shouldn't have to wait too long.

Leslie’s speech was over, and she wondered if she’d ever be able to talk about it without holding back tears.

Presidents don’t cry during speeches, no matter how much they might want to.

She almost thought maybe this anniversary would be different, that maybe she’d feel a little bit stronger up there talking about everything that happened, thanking the men and women who risked and lost their lives to protect her and Pawnee.

She was wrong.

It was easy to ignore the questions being thrown at her, some relevant, some not. She just leaned into Ben as he and Andy ushered her away.

_When will Pawneans feel safe again? How is Yurgin doing in prison? Has any new information come out about the terrorist group? How is your marriage?_

_Are there any future plans for an heir?_

Leslie closed her arms around her belly protectively even though she knew there was nothing there. There might not _ever_ be something there. She won’t ever give them the satisfaction of an answer, either.

And she hated that out of all of the questions, that’s the one that haunted her sleep at night.

As if she needed even more demons to fight.

~~~~~

She never missed a single day, forgot a single pill. It was worse since that question, since the weight of the future of her nation felt even heavier on her shoulders.

It was almost obsessive now. Checking and double checking and setting countless alarms.

She had always wanted children, but that was before. Before she realized how fragile her life was, how quickly it could be over. Before she looked in a mirror and sometimes couldn’t recognize the person staring back at her.

Could she bring a child into the world knowing she would fail it? Knowing that there might be nothing she could do to protect it?

The baby would be born with a target on its back, and she didn’t know if she could live with that.

And how could she take care of a baby when its cries might be drowned out in the night by her own? If she had a panic attack every time the baby was out of her sight? She was only _just_ able to calm herself when Ben wasn’t with her. She couldn’t even imagine feeling that way about her own child.

_No._

So her alarms went off and pills got counted and every time the man that she loved more than anything the entire universe came inside of her, she prayed nothing would happen. There was the little part that hated herself for ruining that special moment, but she learned a long time ago there was no stopping them.

Presidents don’t cry, but she did.

She cried in relief every time she saw the blood-red stain on her underwear, she cried in terror in the night when Ben holding their imaginary baby died over and over again in her dreams. She cried when her husband froze in his spot, gripping his slacks or his hair to keep from throwing a chair across the room during a flashback.

And she cried when Ben would pull her into his arms like he was protecting her from the world because she knew that he’d do the exact same thing for his child.

~~~~~

They never talked about children. It sounded impossible given how long they had been together, but it was true.

Theirs was a love forged during a war only fought by them, a war only they understood. It was as much pain and torture as it was love and bliss. The light and the dark, the yin and the yang, the two sides of a coin in a currency used only between them.

Leslie wasn’t sure why _that_ night. Why after so long it finally became too much to keep inside of her.

Maybe it would help the nightmares.

“Ben?”

His breath was not quite even against her neck and his arm felt heavy on her waist. “Yeah?”

_Presidents don’t cry._

She swallowed instead. “We can talk about anything, right? Even if it’s gonna hurt really bad?”

The arm grew tense and his breathing quickened. “Of course. You can tell me anything. Are you okay?”

 _No_.

“Why have we never talked about kids?”

It was obvious that was the last possible thing on his mind. “Oh,” he said after too long of a silence. “I don’t know.”

 _Liar_.

“Oh.”

“Do you...do you want kids?” He was shaking now.

“I just wondered why we never talked about it. It seems like the kind of thing any other normal couple would talk about.”

“But we aren’t a normal couple, are we?”

To be fair, he said exactly what she had been thinking no matter how cruel it sounded.

“No.” It’s a soft, painful whisper. This wasn’t supposed to be their life.

“Also, I guess just deep down I figured it would happen. Someone to pass the job down to-”

“I wouldn’t bring a child into this world just so I’d have someone to take over for me. I’m not that cruel and heartless.”

“No, of course not. That’s not what I meant.”

At this point, it didn’t matter to her what he meant.

“You don’t think I’d make a good parent. I can tell. You’re still shaking just thinking about having a baby with me. You think--”

She stopped when he sat up abruptly and left the bed. “No, you stop right there. You don’t get to say what I think.” His hands were gripping at his hair again, yanking until she was sure he’d rip some out at the root. “God, how long has this been festering inside of you? How long has this terrible scenario about yourself been going on inside of your head instead of just talking to me from the beginning?”

She didn’t answer.

“For fuck’s sake, Leslie, do you really believe I could think that low of you? You think _you're_ the reason the thought of having kids terrifies me? It’s me. Do you think any child deserves someone as fucked up as I am as a father? Explain to them why Daddy sometimes falls to his knees when he hears a car backfire or wakes up the whole house because he’s screaming in his sleep? Your child would deserve someone so much better than me. Someone who could protect it, who could keep it safe.”

Ben was wrong. She saw what he was capable of, saw how he was getting better at controlling himself or could push aside anything to make Leslie feel safe.

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he’d do the same for his child, but she was too selfish to say anything. It might make him change his mind.

“But sometimes,” he said, slumping down next to her on the bed again, “sometimes I’ll think about it and know that if we ever do have a child, everything will be okay because they’ll have you as a mom. And if it’s what you want, I think I could learn to want it, too.”

He believed everything he said with his whole heart, and that’s what made it even worse.

Sometimes he could just be so, so wrong.

~~~~~

Leslie was pretty damn amazing at ignoring things she didn’t want to face. Her therapist called it “repression” and said it wasn’t a healthy ability to have, but Leslie didn’t think having constant nightmares or panic attacks about it was good either. There was no way she’d talk to Dr. Nygard about any of this, anyway. Some things were just too private.

After a while, things were okay. She worked, she came home, Ben and Leslie battled the usual demons together, and all was right in their little world.

She should have known there was something coming to explode in her face.

“I’m pregnant.”

Ann’s amazingly beautiful face was glowing even more than normal, and that smile couldn’t have been wiped off by anything. It was the baby, she guessed.

Sometimes Leslie missed being the person she was. The person who wouldn’t have even let Ann finish the sentence before she was hugging her and crying tears of joy.

So it took a little while longer, but she did smile and pull Ann in for a tight hug.

“Wow, that’s--that’s great news. Amazing news. I’m so happy for you!”

And she was. That wasn’t a lie. Ann deserved every wonderful thing life had to offer, and if she wanted this, Leslie was happy for her.

It was just hard because it brought everything right back to the surface. She couldn’t ignore it anymore when Ann was constantly running sick or unconsciously rubbed her belly.

Leslie was selfish, but she wasn’t that selfish. She was the godmother, after all, so she made binders with name ideas and helped Ann and Chris pick a color for the baby’s room and was already ordering baby clothes like crazy.

It was a double-edged sword. It felt good to do these things for Ann, but it hurt to know she’d never get to do this for herself.

The issue wasn’t that she didn’t want children. That’d be easy to deal with. No, the problem was that she realized now more than ever how much she _did_ want it.

But she just couldn’t. She wasn’t that selfish.

~~~~~

Presidents don’t cry, but when Leslie watched as Ben’s eyes went soft and a sad smile tugged his lips as Chris ran a loving hand over Ann’s growing belly, she did.

~~~~~

“What’s wrong?”

Leslie looked up from her waffle with a smile. “What’s that?”

“I asked what’s wrong,” Ann repeated, her hands folded over her now large stomach. Her face was pinched and Leslie knew she couldn’t lie her way out of it.

She still tried. “What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong, Ann. I’m fine.”

Ann was going to make an amazing parent. No child of hers would ever stand a chance against that deadly glare.

“Leslie, don’t lie to me. I know you better than anyone, and something’s been bothering you for a really long time now. I was waiting for you to tell me about it on your own, but it’s obvious you won’t. Spill.”

“Ann, it’s nothing you need to worry about, okay? You’ve got enough on your plate. I’m fine--”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean this started being a one-sided friendship.”

Leslie’s eyes strayed to Ann’s belly before looking away.

“Is it about the baby? About me being pregnant? Leslie, you can tell me.”

She swirled her fork through the whipped cream. “Ben and I aren’t have kids.”

“Oh.”

God, she hated the look of pity more than the stare down. “That’s it? Oh? You make me tell you and that’s all you can say?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just surprised. You always said that you wanted kids someday and I didn’t know that changed.”

_Don’t cry don’t cry._

“It has and it hasn’t.” She put her head in her hands. “I just can’t do it, Ann. I can’t bring a child into this mess knowing what might happen. Not after everything that’s happened to me. I can’t promise that I could keep it safe. I won’t be able to protect it.”

“Oh, Leslie, that’s not true-”

“It _is_ true. How can I expect to take care of a child when there are days that I can barely take care of myself? What if someone comes after me again? Comes after my baby? I’d die if anything happened because of me, of who I am. I’d die, Ann.”

Ann reached across the desk and held Leslie’s hand. “Have you and Ben talked about this?”

“Sort of. Just the once. Ben thinks he’d be a terrible father and that my child, _my child_ deserves better. He thinks it’s his fault. But he’d want them if I want them. And I can see the way he looks at you and Chris. He wants it, too. I know it. He’s just too good to tell me.”

“Leslie, listen to me, okay? I love you so much and I will suport you in everything. If you don’t want kids, that’s fine. No one should force you to feel any differently. But if you think for one second that you aren’t strong enough or good enough, you’re dead wrong. You and Ben are the strongest people that I know and you’ve both overcome so much.

“I can understand why you might feel that way, but you need to know that you’re not alone. All of us will help you in any way that we can, you need to know that. And you can’t keep living your life in fear of what might happen. Yurgin doesn’t get to take anything else away from you ever again.”

_It’s too late._

“I know. I’m just so afraid.”

“And being afraid doesn’t make you a bad or weak person. You could have had the perfect life and the idea of becoming a parent would still be terrifying.” Ann sighed and squeezed Leslie’s hands. “I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to talk you into something you don’t want. But I can see how badly you’re hurting, and I just want to help. You know that Chris and I will always be here for you. The same goes for Andy and April and Donna and Ron and even Tom and Jerry. All of us would do anything to keep your family safe.”

Leslie smiled weakly. “I know.”

“Have you talked to your therapist about this?” At Leslie’s look, Ann frowned again. “Leslie, you really should tell Dr. Nygard these things. Work through your fears. If anything for your own peace of mind. And talk to Ben. He might be the only other person that understands.”

She nodded but knew that she wouldn’t.

Ann pulled back her hands and held her arms open wide. “I’m too big to move, so you’re going to have to come so we can hug this out for a good fifteen minutes.”

She slid her desk chair next to Ann, and as her best friend hugged her as close as her belly would allow, Leslie felt the the baby kick.

_Don’t cry._

~~~~~

_Talk to him._

Ben was sitting in bed reading _The Return of the King_ for the thousandth time. The spine was worn and creased, and the pages discolored with age.

She stood at the door to their bedroom, watching him as he got sucked into the imaginary world of Middle Earth with Hobbits and Wizards and Orcs. Where good always defeats evil no matter how hard it is or how many friends are lost along the way.

If only real life worked that way.

There was no such thing as the perfect opportunity for this kind of conversation. Now was just as good a time as any, but the words stayed lodged in the back of her throat.

He looked up as he turned the page and smiled. “Hey, you. What are you doing just standing there?”

“Oh, you know me. Just admiring the view.”

He put his bookmark in between the pages and set the novel down on his lap. “Lucky for you, I’m a hands on exhibit.” He patted the spot next to him in bed, and she smiled despite herself as she walked over.

“You looked like you were a million miles away just then,” he said with his hand cupping her face. “Wanna tell me what’s on your mind?”

 _Talk to him_.

She turned her head to kiss his palm. “Nothing really. I was just thinking about how much I love you and how happy I am that we have each other.”

He knew she was lying, but didn’t push. Sometimes she wished that he would push, make her talk to him, but maybe the disappointment in his eyes was even worse.

“I love you, too.”

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his side before reopening his book.

“Ben?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“C-could you...do you think you could read some of it to me?”

“Oh, yeah, of course. I can start from the beginning if you want.”

“No, it’s okay. You can read wherever you left off. I just want to hear your voice.”

As Ben read, Leslie did her best to not imagine a toddler between them hanging onto their father’s every word.

~~~~~

On the day Oliver was born, Leslie didn’t tell herself not to cry.

She welcomed the tears that came as she held her godson for the first time while a tired but blissfully happy and beautiful Ann looked on from her hospital bed.

“He’s so perfect,” Leslie whispered.

“I know. I still can’t believe he’s here and he’s mine.”

“Hey little Oliver,” Leslie cooed as he yawned and balled his fists.”You’re going to be the most loved little boy there ever was.”

Ben and Chris came tiptoeing back into the room a few minutes later, and she reluctantly passed the baby off to her husband.

When his eyes lit up as he held his godson, when he looked more happy than she thought she’d ever seen him, Leslie didn’t tell herself not to cry.  

Today was the exception.

~~~~~

“Hello, Leslie,” Dr. Nygard said with his usual smile as she sat down across from him. “How are you doing today?”

_Talk to him._

“Uhm, I’m alright.”

Dr. Nygard folded his hands and set them on his notepad. “You look like you’ve got something more on your mind than usual. Would you like to talk about it?”

_Talk to him._

“Yeah, actually, I think I do.”

~~~~~

“Ben?”

The hand gently running through her hair didn’t stop. “Hmm?”

It had been six months. Six long, hard months of going through this alone when she didn’t have to.

“Uhm, so I’ve been having some really good sessions with Dr. Nygard lately.”

“Hey, that’s great.”

His smile was so wide and genuine that she couldn’t help but return it weakly.

“Yeah, he says I’m progressing really well, but we’ve touched on some new topics and he’s thinking it’s a good idea if maybe you could sit in on some of my sessions. I finally think I’m ready for that. If you want to come, I mean.”

He set down his tablet on the nightstand and turned to fully face her. “Of course I’ll come. That's not even a question. Anything you need.”

Bless him. He didn’t even ask what it was about.

“Okay, good. Thank you. It’s just that what we’ve been talking about recently impacts you as much as it impacts me, and if after I tell you what it’s about and you don’t want to come, that’s fine--”

“Leslie--”

“No, I mean it. This is big. Huge. And the last time we talked about it, it didn’t end all that great.”

“Sweetheart, you’re scaring me. Is everything okay?”

“I think I might want to have a baby.” She said it fast, like ripping off a bandaid, and cringed as the words echoed back into her ears. “And I know we might not be in a good place and that you have your fears and doubts and if you don’t think it’s a good idea we can--”

But he was smiling when he kissed her. “I would love to go to your sessions with you and talk about this.”

“But I don’t know for sure that it’s what I want. This is just to help me work through some things. I don’t know yet if I’ll be strong enough to go through with this.”

_Please don’t hate me if I can’t give you want you want._

“That’s okay. We need to figure out what’s right for all of us, not just me. A baby is a big deal. We shouldn’t rush into something we might not be ready for.”

“I’m so scared, Ben.”

“I know. Me, too, but we can work through this. I know we can. Together. Whatever decision we end up making, it’ll be the right one for us.”

That night, there were no nightmares.

~~~~~

Leslie stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her hands gripping the sink as though it was the only thing keeping her upright.

Come to think of it, it actually might be.

She counted four pills. Only four pills left until she had to make a choice. Four pills left until she had to either pick up that phone and renew her prescription or run out. Four pills left until April would know something was off when she didn’t have to make her routine pharmacy run for Leslie.

Four more days to decide if she was ready to try.

Leslie tossed one into her mouth, bringing the glass of water to her lips.

Only three more pills.

~~~~~

Sixty-six pills.

She took 66 more pills before she heard Oliver say “Mama” to Ann for the first time and the tears she thought she was done crying pricked her eyes.

It took 66 more pills before her sessions with Ben and Dr. Nygard made her feel like maybe, _just maybe_ she was good enough to have a child love her, to not think she would fail in every possible way.

Sixty-six more pills before she finished her own baby-planning binder in the privacy of her home office in the middle of the night--just in case, before she opened the door to one of the countless rooms in the Presidential Annex that went unused and imagined it as a nursery.

She took 66 more pills before she stopped.

~~~~~

Ben was always particular enthusiastic the first time they have sex after her period ends, and this time looked like it would be no exception. She can see him practically buzzing with energy just waiting for her to come to bed.

She wasn’t sure why she waited, why she waited until he was devouring her mouth and she could feel the heat of his skin against hers.

“Wait, stop.” She pushed against his shoulder and he immediately backed away. “There’s something I need to tell you first before we, you know, do anything.”

His thumb rubbing her hip was soothing. “Yeah, of course.”

_Talk to him._

“I… I didn’t take my pill today. I didn’t refill my prescription.”

His face might have made her laugh under different circumstances. “W-wait, really?”

She nodded.

“So that means, that you...that we…”

“If you want to, yeah. I’d like to try.”

He blinked. “Uhm, okay. Are you sure that you’re ready?”

 _No_.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be 100% sure, but I want to try. Ann said everyone gets scared, but I don’t--” She stopped.

_Don’t cry._

“I don’t want him to take anything else away from us.”

Ben’s smile and the water pooling in his eyes was its own answer, but his bruising kiss to follow also did the job.

~~~~~

The sex was amazing and damn near constant. In the early hours of the morning, the nights just before drifting off to sleep, lunchtime trysts in her office, and even pressed up against the wall in a few utility closets between meetings.

Not that she was complaining, mind you. It was just weird that now this was more than sex. It was trying for a baby, a human life that would depend on them for everything.

And there were times when Ben could sense her fear, her hesitation, and never pushed. He’d just pepper kisses on her face and tell her that if she still wanted this, she’d be the greatest mother in the world, that their baby would be conceived out of love, that it would never go a single second without knowing it was loved.

That he would die before he’d let anything happen to either one of them.

The fact that that was an all too real possibility did little to settle her, but she appreciated the sentiment.

And after each time, when she was still sweaty and breathless, his hands would wander to her lower belly. She wasn’t even sure he knew that he was doing it, unconsciously touching the spot he hoped his child would soon be, but it happened every time without fail.

It gave her just that little extra bit of hope almost as much as it frightened her.

~~~~~

The red stain on her underwear mocked her every month she saw it.

She wasn’t pregnant. There was some solace in the fact that her period was still on it’s strict schedule, so she didn’t even get the opportunity for false hope.

She wasn’t sure which was worse, the sadness or the relief every time it happened.

No, the worst part was walking out of the bathroom with her warm water bottle in hand and having to watch as Ben tried not to let his disappointment show.

Every time her husband's arms wrapped around her when she eventually crawled into bed cramping and bloated, she remembered that presidents don’t cry.

And she didn’t.

~~~~~

She arched her back and dug her nails so deep into his rough, uneven skin she was afraid she might have hurt him, but he didn’t stop.

He kept snapping his hips, burying himself into her so hard and deep until it was all just too much and she came with a cry that made her throat feel raw.

He lifted her leg high on his hip as he upped the pace of his thrusts before spilling into her, always as deep as he could go as if that might help somehow.

Sometimes she didn’t care if they made a baby this time or not because it was worth it just to be this close with him, to _feel_ this close to him. To feel his skin beneath her hands and lips, to look into his eyes as she showed him with more than just words how much she loved him.

Even if it never happened, she wanted to think that it wouldn’t matter because he was enough for her. He was all she’d ever need to make it through life, and the way he said ‘I love you’ every time he collapsed beside her made her think-- _hope_ \-- that she’d be enough for him, too.

And yet when his palms made their usual journey to her belly, she desperately hoped that today would be different.

~~~~~

Leslie waited nine days for the red spot, but it never came. She waited nine days before getting her hopes up and even allowing herself to think that her being late was due to anything other than stress.

She waited nine days before telling her husband that maybe she should take a test and if he’d be there when she did.

She pulled out one of the tests that Ann had given her back when she said they were going to start trying and followed the directions.

She sat on the edge of the tub, her lip between her teeth and as she picked at her nails, Ben sitting beside her bouncing his leg

It felt like five hours instead of minutes, each agonizing second hurling her closer and closer to _something._

Leslie wasn’t sure what that would be, had no idea what emotions she’d feel given whatever the results were on that stick, but it was too late. There was no turning back.

They both flinched when the timer went off, but didn’t stand up yet. After all that anticipation, and they were too scared to get up and read the damn test.

Ben laced their fingers. “Together, okay?”

“Okay.”

_Pregnant._

That’s what the test said.

_Pregnant._

Her hand flew to her lips and the laugh was out of her mouth before she even realized.

_Pregnant._

Ben made a sound she didn’t think she’d ever heard before and lifted her into the air.

_Pregnant._

Her face was being covered in kisses before he dropped to his knees and kissed her belly.

She was petrified, more so than she thought she could ever be, but this was also the happiest she’s ever been. It didn’t make sense, but honestly, she didn’t care. She was having a baby.

Presidents don’t cry, but then again, neither do soldiers.

They both forgot the rules that day, but it couldn’t have been for a better reason.


	2. Chapter 2

All it took was a quick blood test from her private OB-GYN to confirm what she already knew, what she already felt in her bones to be true. 

Five weeks. That’s how far along she was, how old the baby growing inside of her was.

It was too soon for an ultrasound, but Leslie left Dr. Saperstein’s office with a bottle of prenatal vitamins and an appointment when she hit eight weeks.

Leslie walked out of the examination room to find Ben seated in the waiting area, his leg bouncing while he read the same page of a file over and over again.

He stood up as soon as he saw her, and all she did was smile softly and rattle the bottle of pills in her hand.

He swooped in and hugged her, almost as tightly as he had done the night she took the test at home.

“So this...this is really happening?”

She nodded and blinked back tears. “Yeah, it looks like it. I made my next appointment for a few weeks from now. I should be able to get my first ultrasound if you wanted to--”

“Yes. It’s not even a question. Every appointment, I’ll be here. I don’t care what I have to cancel, but I’ll be here with you.”

Leslie knew all of this already, but it still made her choke up. Damn hormones.

“Uhm, okay. Good. I-I need you with me.”

He hugged her again, resting his cheek against her hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”

~~~~~

She was six and a half weeks along when the morning sickness hit with a vengeance. It was like a switch was flipped and suddenly nothing wanted to stay in her body. Ben kept a constant supply of crackers and water at their bedside, but that did little to ease the near constant queasiness.

Also, whoever called it “morning sickness” deserved to be imprisoned because she was sick all of the time.

Ben was there as often as he could be, holding her hair back as she threw up, rubbing her back and preparing cold washcloths for her forehead, but there was only so much he could do.

They had agreed to not tell a soul about the pregnancy until there was no hiding it anymore. Well, except for Ann. Leslie told Ann almost immediately, but that was it. News about her pregnancy was being kept as secure as the nation’s top secrets.

But if she had to keep making excuses to run from meetings to throw up, she wasn’t sure how long this particular secret could be kept.

~~~~~

Tonight was thankfully a night where her dinner decided to stay down, and she was in bed working on some reports.

“Hey,” Ben said turning over and nuzzling her side. “You look exhausted. You should get some sleep.”

She bit back a yawn. “No, I’m fine. I have a lot of stuff I need to work on. Besides, it’s way too early for me.”

“Leslie, please, you’ve been running around for days now and you can barely keep your eyes open. There’s nothing wrong with slowing down a little bit now that--”

“Ben, I get that you’re trying to be helpful, but I can’t just stop everything because I’m pregnant. I can do this. I’m fine. Being pregnant isn’t going to stop me from doing my job.”

“I never said that it should. Slowing down a little bit isn’t going to stop you from doing your job.”

“It will and everyone will notice. It’s hard enough being a woman and having to prove everyday that I can do this. I can’t let this pregnancy slow me down and prove everyone right. I’m fine.”

“Sweetheart--”

“I said I’m fine, okay?”

Ben sighed and leaned his head back against his pillow. “I’m just worried about you and the baby, okay? I get what you’re saying, but I don’t want to to stress yourself too much and get hurt. Can we at least talk to Dr. Saperstein at your appointment tomorrow and see what he recommends? For my own peace of mind?”

Dear Lord these mood swings were the worst. One second she wanted to rip her husband’s head off and the next she felt guilty and wanted to burst into tears because he was so considerate. How was she going to survive another seven months of this?

She moved her laptop to the nightstand and turned to cuddle against Ben’s side. “I’m sorry for snapping. This is just so hard and I know it’s only going to get worse as time goes on. I know what people have been saying about having a woman in office and I just want to prove to them that they’re wrong. But I also know you’re heart is in the right place. We’ll talk to the doctor and see what he says tomorrow, okay?”

Ben kissed the top of her head, and Leslie smiled when she felt his hand rubbing over her belly. “Thank you. You know I just worry sometimes.”

“I know.”

Suddenly, her body felt like it didn’t have the energy to move, like there was some kind of forcefield keeping her where she was.

Her laptop sat on the night table, forgotten, and she was out before Ben had a chance to turn off the lights.

~~~~~

Leslie’s heart was pounding and she was pretty sure Ben was losing circulation in his fingers from her squeezing them too hard, but she couldn’t help herself.

Today was her first ultrasound. Today she’d see her baby for the first time, maybe even hear the heartbeat.

Today it will become all the more real.

Ben brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “It’s okay. Everything will be perfect. I promise.”

He shouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep, but she only nodded.

“Alright,” Dr. Saperstein said looking over her chart, “blood pressure and vitals are looking good. How have you been feeling?”

“Uhm, okay, I guess. Morning sickness has been hitting pretty hard.” Ben nudged her shoulder and she sighed. “And I’ve been a little more tired than usual.”

“Well, that’s understandable. As long as you make sure to stay hydrated and well rested, you should be fine.”

“So I don’t need to really slow down all that much from what I normally do?”

“Not at all. Just trust your body. Saying that you’ve got a busy schedule is an understatement, but you’re healthy and active and that shouldn’t change all that much.”

She turned to Ben and gave him a smug smile. “I told you. I win.”

Ben was about to open his mouth to reply when Dr. Saperstein turned on the monitor.

“Alright you two, let’s see what’s going down in baby town.”

Yeah, so her OB-GYN was a little weird, but he was the best in the country.

The gel was cold on her belly and made her flinch, but soon the wand was on her skin and she couldn’t focus on anything else but the screen. It was just a weird grainy image in black and white, and she wanted desperately to know what it all meant.

Was her baby safe? Was her baby healthy? Why wasn’t the doctor saying anything?

She squeezed Ben’s hand tighter, but his own grip was almost as strong.

“Alright,” Dr. Saperstein said in his overly cheerful voice that was started to get on her nerves, “looks like we have a very healthy looking fetus here--oh.”

“What?” Ben asked, panicked. “What is it?”

Leslie jumped in, her whole body trembling. “Is there something wrong with the baby?”

“No, not at all. It’s just that it’s babies, not baby.” He pointed to another dark glob on the screen. “This little one back here is one and look, there’s one more.”

“Wait, what?” Ben asked again, and it was his turn to squeeze Leslie’s fingers until they were almost numb. “You mean there’s--we’re having--”

“Triplets,” Leslie finished. “We’re having triplets.”

“Jesus Christ,” Ben whispered under his breath, and Leslie couldn’t relate more.

_Triplets._

As in three babies all at once. Three babies that will need protection. Three chances to screw everything up.

Leslie was terrified, but as she looked at the three blobs on the screen, she also never loved anything so much in her entire life.

Her babies.

“You want to see if we can hear some heartbeats?”

Ben nodded so quickly she thought his head might fly off. “Yes.”

Leslie couldn’t say anything. The words were caught in her throat as she stared at the screen.

Dr. Saperstein fiddled with some buttons on the monitor and soon a faint sound filled the room.

“We might not be able to hear all three right now, but from what I can hear, those are some strong heartbeats. Good work so far, Mom,” Dr. Saperstein said, smiling warmly.

 _Mom_.

No one’s called her that before.

She heard Ben sniff a little next to her, and it was then that she realized the tears in her own eyes. Happy, scared, ecstatic, nervous-- every possible emotion was coursing through her at that moment and she wasn’t sure what to do.

“Now remember what I told you about not needing to slow down? Ignore all of that. Carrying triplets is going to take it’s toll on you. Rest often, stay hydrated, and most importantly, no added stress.”

Leslie wanted to laugh. As if anyone ruling a nation could manage to not get stressed.

“And you,” the doctor pointed to Ben, “you’re going to need to help her as much as she needs it, okay, Dad?”

Ben finally tore his eyes from the screen and cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, of course. Anything.”

“Alright,” Dr. Saperstein said as he wiped the gel from Leslie’s stomach, “so everything looks good, but since you’re carrying multiples, I’ll be keeping a closer eye on you.” He went over to a small printer in the corner. “It’s not much, but here’s the first ultrasound picture. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

~~~~~

Everything was a blur. She was barely aware of Ann in front of her trying to get her to breathe when Ben and Donna rushed through the door to her office.

“Leslie,” Ben said as he crouched in front of her and took her face in her hands. “Sweetheart. It’s okay. It’s okay, just breathe.” He took her hand and placed it on his chest. “We’re gonna breathe together, okay?”

She couldn’t. Breathing was too hard right now. She was drowning and nothing could help her or her baby. It was too late.

“Ben, they know. They know and they’re going to come after us.”

“They know what, babe? Shh, it’s okay. Calm down. Nothing’s going to happen.” He quickly looked over his shoulder at Ann and Donna. “What happened?”

Ann pursed her lips and pointed to the tabloid on the desk. “She saw that and that’s when the panic attack started.”

They knew she was pregnant. They knew and now the whole country knew and there was nothing she could do about it. They weren’t supposed to know yet. It had to be Dr. Saperstein. He had to have told. Or his receptionist. It didn’t matter. She was going to throw both of them in prison.

“Leslie, honey, listen to me okay. Okay, we’re going to breathe in and hold, okay?” She tried to shake her head, but Ben was insistent. “No, we’re going to breathe. Breathe just like me, okay? It’s just a tabloid. They’ve been saying every other month for the last year that you’re pregnant. It’s just to sell papers.”

“But what if they really know? Everything’s ruined now.”

“Breathe in and hold for three seconds like we practice, okay? In… one, two, three, good. And out. They don’t know anything. This is just some trashy magazine that makes up stories for headlines. No one will know until we’re ready to tell them, okay?”

She struggled through a gasp for air. “Are you sure? You promise?”

“I promise. No one’s going to hurt our babies. Yeah, that’s good. In and out.”

It felt like an eternity, but her breathing started to slow and she was able to wipe at the tears streaming down her face. She collapsed into Ben’s arms, squeezing him tight like she was afraid he’d vanish right in front of her.

Leslie pulled away and looked over at Ann and Donna. God she was so embarrassed. “Thank you. I-I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“No, no way,” Ann said with a shake of her head. “Don’t apologize. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I know what it feels like to be a nervous mother scared for her child, and I can’t even imagine what you’re dealing with right now. We’re here for you no matter what.”

Leslie smiled and shrugged in Donna’s direction. “I guess you’re in on our secret now, too.”

Donna just shook her head and smirked. “I think I’ve known for a while now. But don’t worry, pretty much everyone we work with is clueless about everything, so you’re safe. I’ve been keeping a close watch on stories like this just in case, but this one must have slipped through. I’ll take care of it. But Ben’s right, this tabloid is garbage and has been saying just about everything about you, so you don’t have to worry. We’ve got your back.”

One thing about pregnancy was that you never run out of tears--good or bad. Leslie sniffed again and felt the tears prick her eyes. “Thank you. Wow, uhm, I better go clean up. I have a meeting with the Chiefs of Staff in less than an hour.”

Ben helped her up and kept his hand low on her back. “Do you need any help?”

“No,” she insisted with a soft push on his chest. “No, I’m good now, I promise. You go back to what you were doing.” At his pause, she sighed. “I promise, I’m okay now. Thanks to you.”

“Okay, but if you need anything, _anything_ \--”

“I know, I know.” She gave him a quick kiss and pushed his shoulder again. “Now go before we’re both late.”

And like always, she didn’t miss the soft press of his hand on her belly before he walked away.

~~~~~

Her voice cut through the silence in their room like a knife. “We’re going to have to tell everyone soon.”

“Hmm?”

Leslie turned over to face Ben. “About the babies. I think it’s time we talked about letting everyone know.”

She could tell he was just as nervous about this as she was, but his eyes glanced down at her belly and he knew it was true. Her clothes were getting baggier and baggier to try and hide it, but with three babies in there, they couldn’t wait any longer.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Ben set his tablet down and scooped Leslie into his arms. “It’ll be fine. We can have Donna do all of the press releases and make the statements so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Do you know how happy everyone is going to be?”

“Yeah…”

“I mean it. Your country loves you, and they’ll be so happy about this. Just wait. And triplets? The public _loves_ that stuff.”

“I guess you’re right. You know me. I just worry. He’ll find out. What if he has someone come after us and the babies? What if--”

He stopped her. “Leslie, listen to me. James Yurgin is never going to hurt us again. We have no evidence that he’s communicating with people on the outside, and there is now way we are letting anyone near you or the babies. You’re safe. Let him find out. I want him to know that he tried to stop us and he failed. That we’re still living our lives. That we have the things he never will.”

The fire in his eyes, the conviction with which he said those words startled her a little at first, but deep down, she knew he was right. But she always knew he was right, and that did little to chase away the fear she felt in the pit of her stomach.

“That doesn’t make me any less afraid.”

His arms tightened around her and he kisses her neck. “I know. But it will be fine, I promise. Go to sleep, and we can talk to Donna about everything in the morning.”

“‘Kay.” She kissed Ben goodnight and smiled when he lifted up the sheet to press a kiss to her belly.

“Night, babies. Mommy and Daddy love you so much.”

He did that every night, and it never failed to make her eyes wet. How could he possibly think he’d fail as a father?

“I’m so glad we have you,” Leslie said, curling into Ben’s side as best as should could with her belly.

He smiled and kissed her hair. “Funny. I was about to say the same thing to you.”

~~~~~

_President Leslie Knope and her husband Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Wyatt are overjoyed to announce that they are expecting triplets later this year. President Knope and Lieutenant Colonel Wyatt appreciate the love and support they have received, and ask for respect and privacy regarding this matter._

Leslie smiled softly and glued the announcement into the baby scrapbook already filled with ultrasound photos and congratulatory cards. It was still scary, the whole world now knowing what was once her biggest secret, but it felt good, too.

Before the official press release, she gathered her staff into the conference room, with Ben at her side, and told them.

She knew they’d be happy, but the love they received was even better than she could have imagined. Ron was already planning on the cribs he was going to build for them.

There wasn’t even a second where she told herself not to cry that day, not as her closest friends were there supporting them like they were. Her babies were so lucky to have so many people in their lives that loved them.

And Donna--Leslie would be lost without her. As expected, the office was flooded with calls from reporters from all over the world wanting more, but Donna held them off. _Yes, the President and the babies are doing fine. No, she won’t be stopping her work or stepping down._

Leslie sat up and smoothed a hand over the small piece of paper freshly pasted in the book and smiled.

~~~~~

“So how are you holding up?” Ann asked as she sat across from her desk. Their meals together were harder to come by between work and taking care of a toddler and being super pregnant with triplets, but they still made time when they could.

“I’m good. Honestly,” she insisted when Ann gave her a look. “I’m telling the truth. I mean, I’m still sick every so often and my feet always hurt, but other than that, fine. The babies are healthy and Ben has been amazing through everything, especially my weird cravings. And pregnancy sex is _amazing._ ”

“Right? I told you about that second trimester. Enjoy it while you can, though, before you feel like a walking blimp and can’t even move.”

Leslie laughed and dipped another french fry in hot sauce. “Great. Can’t wait.”

“But I’m serious. Everything else is good?”

“I think so. I’m still terrified. I still have nightmares like before and now they come after the babies. Ben has them, too. Sometimes they’re so bad that he wakes up and won’t calm down until he touches my stomach. God, his face for those few seconds when he thinks we’ve lost them…”

Leslie sniffed and Ann reached out for her hand. “You guys are strong enough to get through this.”

“I know. I mean, for all of the bad, there’s good, too. We’ve hired a decorator for the nursery and I’ve already got started on the scrapbooks and quilts for them. And Ben talks to them whenever he can. He won’t go to bed without kissing my belly. It’s adorably sexy. Plus, we have all of you guys to help us.”

“And don’t forget that, either. But I’m so happy for you guys. Really.”

“Thanks. It’s weird, but now I sometimes think that I can actually do this, you know?”

“You _can_ do this. You’re going to be a great mom.”

The best part was that Leslie almost believed her.

~~~~~

“Ben!” Leslie yelled and her husband came frantically running into the room.

“What? Is it the babies? Do I need to call Andy? We can have you at the hospital in--”

“No, babe, calm down. Sorry, that was an excited yell, not a bad one. Come here.”

Ben was still panting when he walked over to her. “That scared the shit out of me, Leslie. You don’t even want to know what I was thinking.”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” she said, grabbing his hand and placing it on her growing belly.

“What’s--”

“Just wait.”

It took a little while, but when she felt the kick, Ben’s eyes went wide and a grin split his face.

“Was that--”

“Yup. One of the babies kicked.”

She had been feeling the little flutterings for a few weeks, but nothing like this. _This_ made it feel more real than anything.

Ben dropped to his knees and kissed where his hand had once been. “Wow. That was amazing.”

“I know. Ann told me that once they start, they probably won’t stop, either.”

Leslie felt another kick where Ben was resting his cheek, and he smiled. “Good.”

~~~~~

“Aunt Leslie! Uncle Ben!”

Little Oliver Perkins-Traeger ran full speed at the pair as fast as his little toddler legs could carry him.

It was crazy how fast he was growing. It seemed like just yesterday he was standing on shaking legs, and now he’s running and talking all on his own. She couldn’t even imagine how quickly it would go for her and Ben once the triplets were born.

“Hey, big guy,” Ben grunted as he swung Oliver up in the air, the little boy’s shrieks of delight music to their ears.

“Aunt Leslie, you’re big.”

“Oliver…” Ann said with a stern look, but Leslie laughed and waved it off.

“It’s okay. Yeah, I know I’m a lot bigger than the last time you saw me. The babies are growing really big.”

Oliver squirmed until Ben put him down and he shuffled in front of Leslie’s belly. “There’s babies in there?”

“Yup.”

Oliver’s eyes went wide and he put a hand against her stomach. “Wow. Hi babies! I’m Oliver.” He looked back over at Leslie. “When are they gonna come out so I can play with them?”

“They still have a few more weeks to go.”

“That’s _forever_.”

“Trust me, I know. It feels like forever.”

“And you’re their mommy?”

“Uh huh.”

“Good. You’d be a good mommy.”

Leslie stroked the little boy’s hair, and he looked a little confused as to why she was starting to cry. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Alright,” Ann said. “Dinner’s almost ready, so let’s go wash those hands, okay Oliver?”

“‘Kay. Bye babies. I’ll be back soon.”

For the rest of the night, Oliver refused to leave Leslie and the babies’ side, and she was perfectly okay with that.

~~~~~

“Bed rest is the worst.”

Ben looked over from his spot on the opposite couch. “Well, you moved from the bed to the couch today, so that’s something.”

“Benjamin Wyatt, if you want to live long enough to see your children born, you will never say anything like that again.”

“Right, sorry.”

Leslie pouted and tried to squirm to make herself comfortable. “I’m just so bored. I finished all of the work Andy brought me and have to wait for more. My fingers hurt from quilting so much, and you won’t let me watch the news.”

“Because the last time you did and saw the piece they did on you, you nearly broke our television with a shoe.”

“I’m the damn president and they’re focusing on how much weight I’ve gained?! I’m pregnant with triplets, what the hell did they expect!”

“Sweetheart, please calm down. That’s what I’m talking about. Remember that Dr. Saperstein said your blood pressure was getting a little high and to keep stress to a minimum.”

“I know what my OB-GYN said, Ben.”

He sighed and moved the kneel down next to her on the couch. Deep down, she knew she was taking out her crankiness on her husband, but what else was she supposed to do?

He started rubbing her belly with one hand while the other gently stroked her neck. She had to admit it felt really nice.

“How about after I’m done my report, we take a nice, hot bath. That always relaxes you, right?”

Damn him and his charms and consideration. “Maybe,” she mumbled, but that turned into a groan when his thumb massaged a particularly sore muscle in her neck.

“And I happen to know that there are a few more pints of ice cream in the fridge.”

“Stop being nice to me when I’m trying to be cranky at you.”

He laughed. “Consider it an apology for ‘tricking you with my amazing penis and putting three babies in you’”.

“Hmm, I did say that, didn’t I? But to be fair, you came home all sexy in your uniform and I couldn’t do anything about it because we can’t have sex anymore.”

“Yeah,” Ben sighed, “that’s definitely a bummer. But it’s worth it, right?”

“I know. I love them so much, but I want them out of me already.”

“Just a few more weeks. Oh,” he looked up at her and smiled. “That was a strong kick.”

“Sonia. She’s been as restless as me today.”

Ben laughed and kissed where he felt the kick. “How are you so sure it was her? You always act like you know which one it was.”

“I do know. I’m their mother. Sonia kicks the hardest and gets a little more restless, but once Stephen gets going, he doesn’t stop until he tires out. Westley’s definitely a bit more mellow.”

“If you say so,” Ben grinned before leaning over to give her a soft kiss. “I’m gonna start running the bath and then I’ll be right back to help you over, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Ben cupped her cheek and held her gaze. “I love you.”

He said it with such conviction that it made her want to cry. To be fair, she always wanted to cry these days, but this was different.

“I know. I love you, too. So much. And I’m sorry I was mean to you and your penis. I’m very happy and grateful for the both of you. Oh, and Ben,” she said after he smiled and stood up to walk towards the bathroom, “if you ever again come home wearing your uniform during a time when I can’t climb you like a tree, you will most definitely regret it.”

~~~~~

“Do you have any twos?” Andy asked and frowned when Leslie told him to Go Fish.

“You know, you don’t have to sit here with me all day.”

“Yes, ma’am, I do. Ben told me not to leave your side until he gets back from his meeting and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. You and the munchkins are my top priority.”

“Ben’s just overreacting. I’m not due for another few weeks.”

“Triplets are known to be born approximately four to eight weeks premature. I saw that on a documentary on the Discovery Channel. And Ben said that they can come any minute.”

“You know that I outrank Ben, right?” Andy swallowed, and she immediately felt guilty. “Nevermind, it’s fine. I know he’s just worried, but really, I’m fine.”

“Well, until you order me away, my mission is to make sure nothing happens.”

With a sigh, Leslie asked Andy if he had any fives.

Most of the day passed much like that, the two playing cards or other board games to pass the time. At least until Leslie squirmed and suddenly her seat felt warm and wet.

“Oh. Oh, no.”

“What? Are you okay?” Andy was already up and out of his seat.

“My pants are all wet.”

“Oh, don’t worry. That’s happened to the best of us.”

“No, Andy, I think my water just broke.”

It would have been funny any other time, a trained agent standing there with wide, fearful eyes at the mention of her going into labor. But it only lasted a second before he pulled out his phone and was calling Ben.

“Eagle Two, this is Eagle One. The eggs are hatching. I repeat, the eggs are hatching. Ugh, Ben, the code names are there for a reason. She just said her water broke. Okay, we’ll get everything ready.”

He hung up the phone then radio’d the rest of the agents posted around the annex.

“Andy,” Leslie yelled when he started pacing frantically around the room. “It’s fine. I just need help getting up so I can change into fresh clothes. The babies aren’t coming right now. I just need to get to the hospital so they can monitor me.”

“Right, yes. Uhm, okay.” He lifted her off of the bed and set her slowly on her feet, walking beside her to the bathroom. “Do you need help--”

“No, I think I can still dress myself. I have fresh clothes in the bathroom so I’m good. Why don’t you go get my bag from the closet so we’re ready to go when Ben gets here, okay?”

“Yes, yes ma’am. I’ll go do that right now.”

Leslie closed the door behind her and let out a ragged breath that betrayed the calm exterior she was doing her best to maintain.

Her hands shook as she slowly took off her soaked clothes and changed.

This was it. There was no more waiting. These babies were coming whether she was ready or not.

And she was ready, right? That’s what all of these months were for. The nursery was ready and Ron and made the cribs perfectly and they had plenty of supplies and an almost army of nannies that were ready to help once the babies came home.

But was _she_ ready?

She heard Ben and Andy’s voices getting louder and louder until they were right outside of the door.

“Leslie?” Ben asked, knocking quickly. “You in there? You okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said opening the door. “My water just broke, that’s all. The babies aren’t about to be born this second.”

“Still, we need to get you to the hospital. Are you having contractions?”

“Just faint ones. They aren’t consistent and still really far apart.”

“Okay. Andy can you go make sure the car is ready and loaded up, please?”

“Sure thing.”

As soon as Andy was out of earshot, Ben put his hands on Leslie’s shoulders. “Okay, how are you _really_?”

“Ben, I’m fine. I mean, why wouldn’t I be fine. I’m about to give birth to three babies at the same time that will need our constant love and support and will rely on us for everything and grow up in the public eye, and I’ll be worried about them 24/7 and if I screw up then that’s _three_ children who will hate me and wish they were never born. Oh, God Ben, what if I can’t do this. What if--”

“Hey, calm down. You can do this. And I know it’s going to be hard and labor is going to suck and then we’ll have three babies to raise, but if there’s anyone in this world that’s strong enough to do this, it’s you.”

“Because I have you.”

He didn’t look so convinced and she was about to say something about his own hangups about being a good parent when a contraction hit her hard and fast.

“Whoa,” she said through gritted teeth, nearly collapsing if it hadn’t have been for Ben holding her up. “Wow, that one was really strong.”

“Yeah, we need to get you to the hospital. You ready?”

She honestly had no idea, but she was about to find out.

~~~~~

Labor was hard and more painful than she could have ever thought possible. Words were said that she’s pretty sure no one expected to come from a president’s mouth, and her poor husband just stood there as she nearly broke every bone in his hand.

She ended up needing a c-section, which she had been told would most likely happen, and soon she was numb from the waist down.

Those next few minutes happened so fast. She knew the babies were premature, but in those few seconds she was able to see them before they were whisked away, all she could think about was how tiny they were.

And as they watched them through the glass in the NICU, all she could do was repeat to herself over and over again that they would be fine, that they had the best doctors available.

She cried when her babies were born, cried when they said that Westley was so much smaller than the others and they’d do everything they could to make sure he’d make it, and cried when he survived the night when no one thought he would. She cried the first time she was able to touch her babies without a barrier between them.

And Leslie didn’t regret a single tear.

~~~~~

Leslie sat propped up against the headboard, a baby at each breast while Ben fed the third with a bottle next to her.

“I still can’t believe they’re home,” she whispered.

“Me neither.”

It was almost two weeks before they could bring them home, and those were some of the longest days of her life.

“But look at them. They’re so perfect. I can’t believe we _made_ these.”

Ben just chuckled and nodded his head. “Yeah. Yeah, we did. To be fair, you did most of the work.”

She laughed before, watching as Sonia yawned and scrunched her face. God, they were so small and helpless. “It’s okay to be scared, right?”

“I hope so. I’m petrified. I’ve let so many people down in my life, I can’t imagine what would happen if I did this to them, too.”

Leslie wondered if the aching in her chest happened to Ben whenever she said something negative about herself. If sometimes he just wanted to shake her and tell her that every negative thought about herself was a lie. That she was worth so much more than her mind made her believe.

She assumed it did.

“You won’t. You’ve never let me down, and I know you won’t do that to them, either.”

They both knew it wouldn’t be easy. Their nightmares and flashbacks and panic attacks won’t magically go away no that they triplets were here, but it didn’t have to stop them from being the best parents they could possibly be.

“Hey, you okay?”

Leslie didn’t realize she was crying until Ben wiped away a tear using his free hand.

“Yeah. I’m just a little overwhelmed right now, but it’s the good kind. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. You know it’s okay to cry sometimes. Even for presidents.”

Leslie smiled softly. “Yeah, I know.”


End file.
